Collaboratively Exploring the Life and Lore of Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Introducing Soul Music

Soul Music

First Published in 1994 • #16 in the series • #3 in the Death story arc

SUMMARY:

Imp Y Celyn leaves his home in Llamedos, a harp in his hand and a dream in his heart. He’s off to the big city of Ankh-Morpork, center of culture and land of promise for a young musician. He’ll be dead in a few days. Then he’ll be something else.

Susan Sto Helit sits in class, fading out of perception as she focuses on a book of her own choosing. With her parents dead, mysterious powers and a secret heritage, she would make for a typical fantasy heroine. That is, if she didn’t think the whole thing was nonsense.

The disappearance of Death and the appearance of a mysterious music shop set the scene for Music with Rocks In–but is the Disc ready for it?

DIVING IN:

Ryan:In my online reading about Discworld, Soul Music has achieved the dubious distinction of being most frequently cited as Not Good. I know that I love Susan, so it’s hard to see how I could not like this book, but time will tell. Also, the music industry should lend itself to a classic Pratchett critique. We shall see?

Anne: Soul Music. Soul Music, Soul Music, Soul Music. I remember you. I remember not liking this book. At all. Even as a teenager, I got most of the music references, but they all just…fell flat for me. I am looking forward to reading it as part of the project, though. I’m trying to go into this with an open mind. Or at least, a more open mind.

FAVORITE LINE:

Ryan:

“Susan hated Literature. She’d much prefer to read a good book.”

Anne:

“It was a poem about daffodils.

Apparently the poet had liked them very much.”

SUPERLATIVES:

Ryan: Most Groan-worthy Puns in a Pratchett Book, Natch Anne:Most Convoluted Shoe-Horning In of a Heavy Metal Reference

PRETENTIOUS ACADEMIC SUBTITLES:

Ryan: Soul Music: The Inheritance of Genetic Traits from Anthropomorphic Personifications, A Consideration

Anne:Soul Music: The Rise and Fall of the Archetypal Garage Band

Want to read along? Bring your local librarian a banana and ask him/her/it if Soul Musicis available in your library’s catalog.